


Lady Aether

by auworksforme



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Thor: The Dark World Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-31 21:44:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auworksforme/pseuds/auworksforme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>THOR 2 SPOILERS</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>What if Jane would have been less passive about her possession?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lady Aether

This world was dull.

Darcy burrowing into her, police cars and police men sounding like squeaky lab rats.

“You were gone for five hours!”

Did that matter?

“I'm ..” _different._ There was a red heat slumbering somewhere, everywhere. Up her spine, nestling between her organs. Alien, but not unwelcome.

 

After the futile attack of the police man, Jane understood that there was more than heat. Energy. A purest form, dancing through her blood stream. But she looked at Thor and saw her distress and before she could say something _“I'm a scientist, let me look at this, I know how the universe works”_ he had taken her away.

Taken her away on an amazing trip, but she was sure that – if/when she returned, she'd have Darcy on her neck. Poor Darcy. She was only human.

 ~*~

Yet again Thor didn't give her a chance to explain and Jane felt some frustration built inside her. Not of the energy, it was silly to give something so abstract human emotions. No, this was all her. He was gone for two years, he came in as the big hero, made decisions for her and whisked her off to _All right, it was Asgard_ his home and now treated her like a walking bomb.

“Stop it!” She sat upright. “Even though I may be a patient, I don't want to be treated like I'm nothing more than a body with a malfunction. I know there's something al-” _Should she admit to that?_ “I'm not afraid. I'm in control.”

“Jane.” Thor had gently taken her hands in his. He was always surprising gently, considered his power and statue “This is dangerous. It is not that I do not trust your skill, it is simply that this is something from outside your realm and knowledge.”

“Outside this realm as well. And I do not support it being brought here.”

The old man showed himself in two ways, like Jane was looking through a filter. There was his life's energy, slowly dwindling. And his character, a huge rock with small flints at it feet. She could bring him down with an attack on his energy, but his character would keep him clinging to li- Jane shook her head. She didn't want to bring Odin down, he was Thors father.

“Father, she is ill.”

  _I have to have a conversation with you about talking in my place._ “I know there is an alien energy coursing through my veins right now. I don't know where it came from and why everyone here is so frightened of it, but I'm fine. This is me, talking. This is me, in control. I'm sorry about that police man but I was still getting used to the situation. Can't someone just give me some space and let me look at this myself?”

“The energy you carry with you in your veins, Jane Foster, is called the Aether.” Odin didn't even deign to look her. If she wouldn't be so angry, she'd realize he was pretty impressive. “It's a dark creation from before our time,  full of fury that can only be used for destruction. Now I have not been to Midgard in several centuries, but do you mean to tell me that humans can manage such force now?”

“Father, I only brought her here to make sure she would be safe.”

“You brought darkness into the heart of our realm, Thor.” Odins lip curled in distaste. “Take her away.”

“Excuse me, but wouldn't you think there could be a quicker solution if you'd just give me something to work with? I could be sure if I was in danger in ..maybe just a couple of hours and you wouldn't have to – hey!”

“Don't touch her.”

“Thor.” His father was fuming.

“I will take her. To the holding cells.” He lowered his voice. “Jane, please be calm. I will help you.”

_Later, I guess_. She nodded. “Do the holding cells have anything I can use for research?”

-

None of the cells could hold her. The doors slash windows refused to close behind her. Three different curse-spinners ( _sounds like an interesting job_ ) were called in, until a dark figure in the cell opposite her offered her help.

“Wait a .. is that Loki? That's -” Jane felt anger surge up inside her, felt the red heat creep inside her head. The Aether sharpened her hands into claws, eager to bring harm to him as he had brought harm to her city.

“Jane ..”

“Stop talking to me like I'm a dangerous animal!” She lashed out at the monster opposite her, heard the satisfying crackle of curses shattering.

“Jane!” Thors arms were around her. “Please, be calm. You said you could control it, don't let it co-”

“He's a mass murderer!” She peeled Thor off her, walked over to the leering half-god. The Aether hummed inside her, spreading her anger through her entire body. “Loki.”

“Jane Foster. I sure am honoured by this house call.”

“Get on your knees. Rip out your heart. Apologize.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “That sounds dramatic. Are you sure that is something a human would demand?”

She brought him to his knees. Effortless.

“Jane, please.”

_I could do it. But should I?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a creature breaking out of his cell. Its energy was tainted with death yet not death, and it made her blood boil.

Loki hissed through his teeth. “I expected trouble just a few minutes later. Thor, remember the stories about the Kursed ones?”

Thor growled something and any other moment Jane would have appreciated the sound, but now it discomforted her. “Thor?”

“Take her and leave this realm. They will come for her and I will not see Asgard burn.”

_Again with the decisions!_ “I can help. Thor, I – oh.” The creature was steadily working its way through its fellow-prisoners. “What's a Kursed one?”

Loki beckoned her. “If you would do me the honour, lady Jane? I will kneel for you another time.”

She looked at Thor.

“Please.” He kissed her forehead, pressed a dagger in her hands. “Loki, alarm father and run. Do not think this is the end of your gaol time. I will find you.”

He smirked. “I fear so as well. We are going now.” And he grabbed Jane's arm, the touch crackling inside her. More alien energy. Maybe she was _just_ a little bit in over her head.

_~*~_

“The things I could do with your power ..” Loki had brought her into a dark, cruel world. A wasteland that smelled of sulfur.

“The things _I_ could do with it.” Jane's anger had passed, discomfort replacing it. _Where was she? Where was Thor? And how long could she continue to threaten Loki before he'd ignore her words and attack her?_ “Earth needs energy as well. You know that.”

“Don't talk to me about that place.”

“Why, disappointed that humans weren't okay with an alien dictator? How weird.” She bit her lip. “Where are we? Why don't we stay in one place so Thor can find us?”

Before he could answer, if he would even answer because he had been pouting ever since they got here, Jane felt something different.

“Malekith.” Loki grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. To someone that felt like .. nothing. The Aether twirled inside her, waiting for any emotion or action to hold on to. “Here it is. The Aether. What you do with the body that hous-”

Jane turned and slapped Loki. Hard. It was satisfying and made the energy inside her surge up. “Nothing will be done with me or the energy inside it.”

The Malekith – _Just Malekith_? sighed. “Woman. You will not survive th-”

“Shut up. I guess you're friends with Loki or – oh. Time before darkness? Isn't this wasteland dark enough for you? Why the hell does the villain always want _everything_? If it has been thousands of years, why is it still such a mess?!” She saw red. “And with the Aether, you would do what? Wasteland all over the universes? Who are you to decide?” The line between her and the energy was thinning rapidly, something had to happ-

The one creature that had tried to creep up on her, fell apart into rabble. Her strength struck out at the others, vaporizing the small group, bringing Malekith to his knees.

“Do you think I asked for this? Do you think I wanted this? Yet somehow this is the best option, for others only want to cause chaos and destruction!” _When had her feet left the ground?_ “This is your world and you will never leave it again or I will obliterate the last of your kind, to be nothing more than monsters in a fairy tale. The Aether will build, not destroy. It will shine bright and forever and _I_ will hold it.”

“.. Milady.” It was barely a whisper.

Jane turned to see Loki, on his knees in front of her. Disheveled, no longer a smirk on his face but a hope that hurt her. “Milady Aether, may I apologize to you for all I have said and done?”

_No._ A small part of her realized that she was slipping, that there wasn't a way to put a brake on such an energy like this. She didn't want to know what she looked like if she could put modesty into a god. “You may.” The rest of her purred for this blatant show of fellowship. “Will you give me your heart as well?”

“I was wrong, all this time. You have the power of gods and will be a great ruler. By Thor's side.” Loki smiled. “If only he would allow you to rule all nine realms, like you would deserve.”

“Thor is just another god that I can bring to his knees.” Her voice wasn't hers any more. The anger had outgrown her own. “No. No. Stop talking.” She backhanded him, sent him sprawling.

Malekith was still there, still on his knees. “I told you, woman. A weak heart will be tainted by The Aether.”

“While you will be able to contain it? Someone who couldn't even touch it the first time?” The Aether caressed him until his breath caught. “Darkness you asked for.” Jane looked around. “Darkness is what you will have. Away from the other realms, away from any universe that is touched by light.” _It was all very simple, really. With enough force a planet could be sent spinning out of its place._

“..Jane?”

If only she could see Thor one more time. She would have loved to see more of Asgard as well.

“Jane!”

The Aether ran out of her, binding this wasteland with ribbons that gleamed dark. It covered her, it covered the unconscious ones, it covered this entire world. And it hurt, like every blood drop being pulled from her stream. _This all started in New Mexico. And here I die, an alien world._

“Jane!”

The Aether bounced Thor off before he could even touch her. Nothing could stop it now from complete destruction. _Was I wrong? Can energy be good or evil? Where's Erik when y-_  It hurt too much. She screamed wordlessly, wishing for unconsciousness, wishing for death.

_~*~_

“Jane?”

This world was bright.

She closed her eyes again. Too bright. _Was it even a world? What happened?_

“Please, Jane.” Someone pulled at her. At her hand? She felt so light.

“What?”

Someone smothered her now, warm and nice smelling and there was hair and - “Thor?”

“You live!”

“Ouch.” Now she was definitely feeling things. A lot of things. “OUCH, get off me!” Her entire body seemed to burn. “What happened, where am I?” _The red heat was gone._ “The Aether ..did I, did Malek-?”

Thor let her go, except for her hand in his. “Loki told us you planned to sent the realm into nothingness, taking yourself and him with it.”

“But I'm here.” She tried to open an eye.

“I found you just in time. Loki directed the Aether into the grounds of Svaltheim and ..”

Jane blinked. “Did it work?”

“It's gone. All of it. As is my bro- as is Loki.”

“Oh.” _Crazy destroyer of New York, but still Thor's brother_. “I'm so s- ouch! What happened to me?”

“You have to lie still, please. The Aether .. it burned you. You have to heal. For a time, but you will be healthy again. Until than ..” Thor swallowed. “I pray for you to give the hospitality of Asgard another chance. Even my father is ..impressed.”

“Burned.”

“We will heal you.”

“You have to let Darcy know where I am. And Er- is everything still in place? The realms and st-”

“Your sacrifice saved us all, Jane Foster.” He gave her a feather-light kiss. “You went where none of us could. Your praises will be sung for eons to come and I will alw-”

She swallowed. “Yes, lovely. Can I – for now – just have some water? Please?”


End file.
